Hi guys,
I’ve got a few questions. My basement is covered with old tiles that I believe to contain asbestos. They are in good shape, and are not falling apart. Can I simply tile over them with new tiles…or can I keep them in place as long as they are not falling apart. I’m considering having them removed. Any ideas on a price per square foot to do this?? Thanks in advance!!
Gary
Engineered-stone shower panels are waterproof, but proper installation relies on tight seams and silicone sealing.
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Replies
Cement backer board manufacturers say it's okay to install it over Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT). I would say that goes for your stuff, too. VCT used to contain asbestos, now it doesn't. If you want ceramic tile, I think that would be the way to go. Check out the Hardibacker installation instructions on jameshardie.com.
B
Gary -
Asbestos removal can cost $$. Have priced up building demolition jobs that required removal on pipes, walls, tiles etc. Subcontractors usually take care of the permits, air monitoring, isolation, disposal, etc. My suggestion would be to contact a local abatement contractor and have them test the tile to see if it is asbestos (asbestos survey). If it isn't go to town!
With floor tile, I just rip it up, bag it, and toss it in the trash. I'd done that for years before anybody got concerned about asbestos, kept on doing it, and never had a problem. With tiles, the asbestos is trapped in a hard material, so you don't get tiny fibers floating in the air like you do with old pipe insulation. Asbestos is no big deal if it doesn't get into the air. Nowadays people treat it like it was plutonium.
-- J.S.
J.S.
You're not the first person I've heard say this. From what I've been told, medical problems arise years down the road. I would'nt take any chances.
In my case, years down the road is now. I was ripping up asbestos tile 30 - 35 years ago.
-- J.S.
Since I haven't received a response on my post with the exact same title, I'll repost it in this thread.....
I would like to find out first without having to go to an abatement contractor.
Hello -
I am assuming these floor tiles in a 1950's vintage house contains aesbestos. They are in the kitchen, bathroom and basement on concrete slab. (Only the basement tiles were found cracking and crumbling into pieces when I removed the carpeting.)
They are square marble textured tiles that are hard and brittle. They were installed with tar-like adhesive that are very dark brown or black. The tiles snap into pieces without any give.
If by some chance they are very old linoleum, does linoleum become very hard and brittle ?
Are there any visual clues to determine if they are made with aesbestos ?
(Yes, in our area I am allowed to simply floor over the stuff.)
Thanks for your help.
Just repeating something I heard somewhere, not sure how reliable, but FWIW, the way you can tell asbestos floor tiles is that they have a slightly greasy or slimy feel to them.
-- J.S.
Thanks, John -
They don't appear to have those characteristics.
Alan
hi all
since the topic is asbestos, i thought i would throw this question out there as well.
i am seriously considering buying a house (in california), but the disclosure packet reads"possible asbestos siding"from my readings on this message board, i have come across some "asbestos pseudo-facts"-the only way to tell if material contains asbestos is to get it tested-you can be fined heavily (city,county,state,etc..) if you are caught doing the abatementwork yourself.-asbestos removal is relatively easy, be sure to wet down the area, double/triple bag the debris, and try to break the least amount of material as possible, wear proper clothing, respirator, throw away clothing, etc...basically it seems everyone has varying opinions on the subject...
the house i am looking to buy, possibly has asbestos siding on the upper half of the house. if i do purchase the house, i would like to remove the siding and the wood shingles (see attachments) and replace it with something such as hardieplank. even if it isn't asbestos, we would like to remove it just for asthetics and resale value.
i know ballpark figures are tough especially depending the on the part of the country, but what does certified asbestos abatement run per sq. ft? are we talking $2, $10, $30 (in california). im just looking for somewhat of a range so i can figure out if this is a $1000 or $10,000 job.
would the possiblity of asbestos siding scare you guys away if you were thinking about purchasing a house? i hear exterior asbestos siding is easier to remove than insulation or tiles, but is there any reason for worry after the asbestos is removed such as fibers left in the wall, fibers outside near windows?
any thoughts would be appreciated
Edited 3/29/2002 2:41:26 PM ET by oak
Asbestos regulations vary greatly from state to state - that probably accounts for the differing answers. Also, some asbestos (like in flooring tiles) is easier to contain during removal than other asbestos (ceiling tiles, exterior work). You need to get the regulations specific to your area to know what your options are. The contractors around here (Sacramento) have a kind of "do it yourself, carefully, as long as you won't get caught" attitude about it. Which means exterior work is more likely to be done by an asbestos removal professional.
"A completed home is a listed home."
John, I'm with you on the encapsulated asbestos in asbestos siding and floor tile. However, when floor tiles get crumbly I'm leery of them. As an analytical chemist. I've used asbestos many times. I'm talking about the straight stuff dry from the container and used in laying filter beds in filtering crucibles. (Yeah, I'm an old guy too.) I don't know of any characteristic of asbestos that would contribute to a greasy feel in a floor tile. In my experience, complete identification requires a polarizing microscope.
BJGardening, cooking and woodworking in Southern Maryland
Oak:
Just got a price from an abatement contractor for removal of asbestos on piping in a three story apartment building - approx. $5,000.00 (East coast)
Oak:
Siding removal will probably require air monitoring and testing - Say $400/day (East coast). I would get a quote (shouldn't cost you anything) on the abatement and see if it would be worth it to purchase the house and have the siding removed.
Back to the original question... If you are looking to install new tiles in a basement over a slab, there are a few considerations. First, many backerboard manufacturers specifically state that their products are not to be installed over slabs. Alos, if you simply install the tiles directly to the existing vinyl tiles, the success of the new installation is now at the mercy of the adhesion of the underlying tiles. You also have no protection from cracks in the slab.
My suggestion in this situation is to install a "floating" system whereby you cover the existing tiles with a crack isolation membrane and then tile on top of that. This is a safe and practical way to enscapulate the asbestos tiles and have a long lasting ceramic installation on top. Just make sure that the manufacturer of the membrane approves it for this use.
Before ripping anything out at least get it tested so you know what you're dealing with.